Wedding Planning 2021

His ‘n’ Hers: a few fashion tips THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WEDDING PLANNING

The experience of shopping for a wedding gown can be stressful and highly emotional. This is the most important dress of your life, so here are some helpful hints. Don’t build the wedding around the dress... Is it a country church wedding with 50 guests? Or a more largescale affair in the heart of the city? Start with the kind of wedding it will be and work backwards to the dress. The dress will determine what to do with your hair and how much jewellery you need. Large earrings can dominate, and a hairstyle can be subtly improved with delicate adornments. Be careful of necklines and be mindful of how small, well- made jewellery can have a better effect. Less is more with accessories

Be realistic about what you can afford If you have a small budget then you can’t expect a top designer dress, unless of course, you get lucky on eBay or the charity shops. Auctions are another good place, especially for vintage or retro dresses. But there are many high-quality off-the-rail dresses, which with slight alterations become personal to you. A good bridal shop is the best starting point. Get fittings as close to the wedding as possible A made-to-measure dress has to be ordered four to five months in advance, so you need to allow that time. Don’t try it on too much because you will probably lose weight before the wedding, so it’s best not to start fittings until you are the size you want to be. Listen to your heart A wedding dress maker or bridal specialist in a shop hones in on what the bride wants. Your sister, mum or aunty might have different ideas, but it’s your day and it’s about what you want.

Find out which designers do bridal really well A wedding dress is the one occasion most women get to experience made-to-measure dressmaking, and for that reason a ready-to-wear designer may not have the kind of expertise needed.

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